A Tempest Brewing
by ColinTheBuiBui
Summary: It's been 25 years since a great evil was sealed within faraway Mt. Hex by the legendary Team Gold Shock. Things seemed peaceful before 5 years ago when a mysterious evil team launched an attack on many villages before hiding out. Now a new generation of explorers begins to emerge, finding themselves seeking to bring this evil team to justice. (Set 35 years after events of PMD2,AU)
1. Journey Start! An Old Friend Emerges!

A bone-chilling wind had blown with blinding snow falling across the Derecha Mountains as two young Pokemon would try to brave the elements. With only tattered robes to shield the two, they would trod through the blizzard, very slowly progressing on their hike.

"Colin, are we theeeeere yet!?", the smaller Pokemon complained. She was a Pachirisu, a unique one whose points atop her tail spikes and ears were concave.

The taller one had replied, "Not yet, Karen! Don't worry, we'll get there!". This Pokemon was a Buizel, also unique to his species due to the usual fin-like strands on the top of his head being three strands branching out in different directions.

"Ugh... Come oooooon! How much longer!?", Karen continued to complain.

"We haven't reached the peak yet... We still have a bit..."

"This is insaaaaane!"

The Buizel was kind of annoyed and turned back at the squirrel Pokemon, "I'm sorry, but you agreed to come along with me!". He would slightly calm himself before continuing, "We have to brave through this together... If we want to look for answers..."

The Pachirisu had snapped out of her stubborn ranting, frowning a bit, "...I guess you're right...", then they would continue to trek through the blinding snowstorm a ways.

After much time of struggling to wade through the snow during the driving snowstorm, the two had come across a welcome sight; a cavern entrance. At the sight of it, Colin yelled, "Hey look! It's a cave!". The Pachirisu had rejoiced, "Yay! Finally, some shelter! I'm freezing my tail off!". The two would slowly trod toward the entrance until they had gotten inside the cave. The cave was small, but had more than enough room for the two to settle down for a break. With that, Colin gathered some of the sticks and twigs lying around in the cave and proceeded to start a little fire. The two would then sit close to the fire to warm up. "Damn, does it feel good to feel heat again!", the Buizel happily declared. "Got that right!", Karen replied as she was just as happy to finally be out of the bitter cold.

After some time passed warming up near the flame, Karen muttered as she turned to Colin, "So you think we'll find stuff out when we get there?".

"We can only hope... It has the best reputation of all the guilds and our fathers even worked there! If there's any place to look, it would be there.", Colin would reply.

Karen turned to the fire, "I see..."

Some more time would pass before Karen turned to the Buizel again "Colin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we would make good explorers like our dads?"

With some enthusiasm in his voice, Colin answered, "Of course! All those times of playing Explorers as kids will certainly pay off!"

Karen was a bit concerned, "But those were just kiddy games... the real thing will be much tougher."

"Well yeah, but..." Colin's confidence faded a bit, "Well, I guess you have a point..." Then after a bit of an extended pause, he would assure his friend again, "But we'll bui fine! This journey to the Guild will certainly test us! If we can make it, maybui we'll have what it takes!"

Karen's expression sorta lit up, her confidence boosted a bit, "You're right!"

The two would sit there, staring into the fire, thinking of why they were taking this journey. Memories of that very day that changed their lives, the day those four Rank X outlaws attacked their village. Karen being thrown against a tree by one of the Pokemon's punches, Colin rushing to her side and prepared to defend her even if it meant certain death, then the image of those outlaws assembled together as they announced the message they aimed to deliver later that day... they would think on it as if it had just happened the day before, though said events had occurred 5 years prior.

"Karen?"

"Yeah?"

"We have to know more about them... we must pursue them... we can't let them hurt any more Pokemon!"

The ele-squirrel Pokemon nodded in agreement, "Right! Collie... Let's never give up!"

The Buizel would confidently nod, "You got that right!" The two would then stay in the cave, camping there for the night.

* * *

As the sunshine of the next day dawned outside the cave, the two would awaken. The Buizel checked outside and he was delighted to see the blizzard had passed.

"Hey look, the snow stopped!", he pointed out to his companion.

Also being happy with this development, Karen would cheer, "Yay! All that nasty snow and wind is over!".

"This will certainly speed things up!", the Buizel announced, "Let's continue up the mountain, we still have a ways to go."

Though she still wasn't thrilled with the thought of continuing the climb, the Pachirisu was happy the biting wind and driving snow was a thing of the past, "Alright, let's get this over with!", she would reply. With that, the two would continue their hike through the snow-covered mountain path. As the day went on, they would progress further up the mountain. The two robed Pokemon would eventually come to a point where there was a steeper incline in front of them with what looked like a snow-covered stairway in the middle.

"Huh?", the Buizel wondered, "A stairway? Way up here in the mountains?". Plagued with curiosity, the two would climb the stairway. As they reached the top of the stairs, they would be met with the sight of an old building. "Woah, a building up here in the mountains!?", the Buizel was astonished as the two approached the structure, "Looks like it might bui abandoned..."

The ele-squirrel Pokemon, just as surprised though much more curious, would quickly exclaim "We should take a look inside! It would be nice to get out of this cold!"

Colin nodded in agreement and the two would enter the building. As they walked out of the cold and into the abandoned structure, the cold air they were plagued with as they ascended the mountain seemed to vanish from their senses; it seemed quite warm inside the building.

"Damn, does it ever feel great to feel warmth like this again!", the Buizel sounded out.

The Pachirisu would wholeheartedly agree, "Yeah! It feels so much better in here!"

"Well, while we're in here, we should look around. It's rather odd that a place this old and run-down is still so warm this high up and in the cold! Plus, it seems like this place is in our way", the Buizel explained, "We might have to pass through here to continue onwards."

"Yup, agreed!", the Pachirisu said with a nod before the two pressed on.

They would look around, catching sight of some clues as to what this place was. There was no hiding the fact this was an old structure; there were cracks here and there along the walls and even some holes. There were holes in the wooden floors as well. There were a few stone tablets, either hanging on the wall or broken on the floor. Colin approached one and tried to read it but much of it was faded away, though there were vague mentions of "the Original One" and prayer in what could be read. They then went on into a hallway, met with much of the same structural decay. There were aged or broken pots along the corners. Paintings on the walls of this hall caught the two's eyes, partially faded but what could be discerned were images of worship toward a holy Pokemon, one wearing a yellow cross-like wheel. It became obvious what kind of place this was; it was an old temple of worship, presumably for the Alpha Pokemon Arceus. Something else that caught their attention, perhaps more than the paintings, was the torches lining the walls and the fact that they were lit.

"These torches… they had to be lit recently!", Karen pointed out.

"You're right… it's possible there could be someone else here…", Colin responded, getting a feeling that they're not alone. They reached the end of the hallway, a door now sits in front of them with crumbled statues sitting on both sides beside it. This door was very slightly open a tad; someone was definitely here, they thought.

The two Pokemon looked at each other, then resolved to proceed to opening the door and into the room behind it. A few rows of pews lined both sides of the aisle before them, a few steps leading to a lectern at the other end of the room just after the pews, faded and/or torn decorations lining the wall across from them, lit torches here and there, an organ on the corner of the room; this was the chapel of this temple. Not long at all after they entered the room, they noticed a figure on the other end of the room behind the lectern. This Pokemon was looking the other way before it soon turned its head a bit. "It's been a while, you two."

The two perked up, a familiar voice? The figure turned around and would take a few steps forward, around the lectern. As it approached, the two would look surprised.  
"No way… You're…" Colin began.

"Lenny!?", Karen finished.

The figure approached the Buizel and Pachirisu, his features would reveal in the light of the torches as he got closer. A Grovyle that towered the two, one that seemed to be familiar with them, had shown himself with a bit of a smirk, "Heh, I'm glad you both remember me…"

"Of course we remember you! You're our friend, we grew up together!", Colin exclaimed.

"Heheh, yeah. I suppose you're right!", Lenny responded happily.

"Hey, you look different… did you evolve!?", Karen questioned curiously.

"Yes… I have gotten quite a bit stronger in these past 5 years…", the Grovyle answered.

Colin looked on then blurted out, "Hey, you don't have your big tail anymore!", a statement that sorta annoyed Lenny. "You'd definitely be better at Explorers now, that's for sure!", the Buizel laughed a bit.

Lenny would reply, keeping his cool, "Pfff, I have no time for kiddy games like that anymore, dear friend."  
Colin would nervously laugh, as would Karen. Then after a bit Lenny grew a bit of a grin, "However…" The Grovyle would brandish his arm leaves toward the sea weasel Pokemon. "I think I have some time for this!", he said before his acted out a false swipe toward Colin, prompting him to jump back a bit. Karen was caught off guard too, shrieked a bit in surprise as she stepped back as well. Colin was surprised as well before recovering from his reaction. He would think a bit on what just happened before realizing, "A sparring match…?", followed by him wearing a determined grin, "Heh, bring it!" Both Colin and Lenny seemed to be eager to show off each other's strength. Karen stepped back a bit more, watching in a bit of awe to see this.

A sparring match right off the bat… these two are psyched to see each other for sure! How will this turn out? Why is their old friend up here in a place like this? What of the details of Colin and Karen's journey? Lots to find out, lots to look forward to as their journey continues!

* * *

 **A/N: Got around to fixing** **typos and revising some stuff pointed out by a reviewer back when I first posted this chapter. I'd like to thank the reviewer for their input and would like to say that I encourage constructive criticism as I'm kinda new to writing stories overall.**


	2. Sparring Match! Our Journey's Purpose!

Within the chapel of an abandoned temple on the Derecha Mountains, Colin and Lenny moved to a sizable clear area behind the pews to have their sparring match. Karen would stand in the aisle to watch the match, anxious and ever-curious of how these two would do.

The two Pokemon would stare each other down as they awaited the first move. It didn't take long before Lenny took the initiative and went for a quick swipe toward Colin. The Buizel swiftly dodged that attack with a small jump back. Lenny would come in for a few more swipes, then Colin would sidestep to dodge each of those. Colin then quickly went in for a jab, one that was quickly dodged before he followed up with another. This was also swiftly dodged in a display of the Grovyle's impressive agility. After these futile strikes, Colin and Lenny would run toward each other and begin exchanging blows at close combat.

Karen gazed upon this action in awe. _They're both so fast…!_ , she thought, _They seem matched in speed, but… I feel like they haven't even really started yet…!_

Colin and Lenny exchanged their last blow in their flurry before both leaping back, now trying to catch their breath. "Woah… you're pretty good!", Colin complimented.

"As are you, old friend…", Lenny responded, "But don't let your guard down!" With that, the Grovyle began to glow a bright green as he rose his right claw in front of him and then clenched said claw. Colin would glow a similar color just as Lenny rose his arm and when the claw clenched, Colin began to grunt and let out a yell in pain. After a few moments, the pain would go away and the glow would be taken in by Lenny before fading. Colin was catching his breath after that ordeal while Lenny seemed to be unscathed. Karen started to worry after seeing the Buizel suffer, "Collie!", she yelled.

"W-what was that…?", the weakened Buizel had asked.

"That, my friend, was my Absorb attack!", the gecko would smirk, "The perfect attack against a Water-Type like you! The best part is I get some of that energy you lost!"  
Colin gritted his teeth, having now known that Lenny had such an attack in his arsenal. He knew this wouldn't be easy with the type disadvantage, but to be taken down such a peg from just one attack was a surprise to him. Colin slowly got up and regained his composure, readying himself before going for another rush at the Grass-Type. Out of nowhere, he shot out a sudden stream of water from his mouth toward Lenny, catching him in surprise. After being hit by the Water Gun, Lenny would begin to shake himself dry before Colin took the opportunity to land a blow on him with a swift Quick Attack. This knocked him back a bit, though the green Pokemon would stand firm, "Nice shot, old friend!"

The Buizel thanked his sparring partner before the two got into another flurry of exchanging blows in close combat. Karen was still watching, quite invested after seeing them show off the power of their moves along with their physical strength. _Such power… Even at a disadvantage, Collie would still charge in like that..._ , she thought.

After the latest clash of blows, the two would leap back away from each other. Colin didn't waste any time and went forward at Lenny to shoot another Water Gun at him. This time, the Grovyle wasn't going to fall for it. He back-flipped to avoid the stream of water, "Too slow!", he roared before landing and clenching his claw toward the sea weasel Pokemon. This caused him to glow once again and let out another painful yell as his energy was being drained by yet another Absorb. He would grit his teeth at the gecko, short of breath after taking the brunt of a second super-effective move. Karen would express worry once more seeing Colin in pain like that.

"You look tired, Colin.", Lenny said with a smirk.

Colin was determined to give it his all despite all the damage, "It's not over yet, Lenny!"

"Heh, we'll see!", Lenny confidently replied before lunging toward the Buizel, his arm leaves glowing and congealing together to form a Leaf Blade. Just then as Lenny closed in on Colin and threw a swipe with his Leaf Blade, the blade was met with another. Colin blocked Lenny's attack with a what seemed to be a blade of his own, seemingly out of nowhere. "W-what!?", Lenny questioned in surprise. This weapon Colin was clashing with Lenny's Leaf Blade had a dark blue blade that was a bit curved with a light blue hilt and a gray cross-guard with a raindrop engraved on it. "W-where did that come from!?", Lenny was beyond curious, breaking the stalemate and both Pokemon leaping back.

As the sea weasel Pokemon caught his breath, he would gave a slight grin, "Well, old buddy, this is something I call the Buizuken!", definitely having caught the Grovyle's interest, "It's a water sword I can conjure up when I need it!" Karen would think in a bout of amazement, _I heard Collie talk about this thing, but I never seen him actually use it before!_

Lenny was impressed, though he started to notice that Colin's panting was getting heavier ever since he had the blade out. "I see… it looks like it's taking a lot out of you to maintain it." Colin wasn't exactly thrilled that Lenny had already noticed the toll it was taking on him. Colin then charged after the Grovyle, causing the gecko to ready his Leaf Blade in retaliation. The two then began a flurry of blows once again, this time with their blades. With each swipe and clash, the toll this weapon was having on Colin was becoming more apparent. At one point, the two weapons clashed in a stalemate. The two Pokemon would put their all into the stalemate, gritting their teeth as they stared each other down. Just then, the ever-exhausted Colin began to let up. This allowed Lenny to break the stalemate and knock Colin's Buizuken away, causing it to evaporate in thin air.

Lenny then aimed his Leaf Blade down at Colin, who was knocked on the ground. He looked up at the green Pokemon as he got wide-eyed and was panting heavily. "It's over, old friend. You lost.", Lenny declared as he looked down on the defeated orange Pokemon.

Colin hung his head for a bit trying to catch his breath, then looked up at Lenny as he let out a bit of a nervous laugh, "Eheheh… I guess you're right…"

As soon as Colin sat up, Karen rushed to him, "Collie, are you okay!?", she asked right away.

"Yeah… I'm alright…", the Buizel assured, though he was still quite short of breath.

Karen then closed her eyes and put both her paws up toward Colin before a glow lit up about the Buizel. He was flooded with a soothing sensation as the light enveloped his body. This immediately caught Lenny's attention. After some time, the glow would soon fade before Karen put down her paws with a smile. Colin's breathing was softer now and any pain he had from the battle seemed to be gone. "Thanks, Karen.", the Buizel thanked the Pachirisu, sporting a slight smile.

"What did you do?", Lenny asked Karen.

"O-oh, that?", Karen was kind of flustered, "Hehehe, I'm just kinda studying on healing magic. I only know the basics right now, though!" The Pachirisu went to the Grovyle, "Do you need any help?"

The green Pokemon just put up his claw, "Nah, I'm alright. No need to go out of your way."

"You suuuuure?", the squirrel Pokemon asked.

"Yes. The Absorbs during the battle were more than enough. I'm alright."

Karen cutely grins, "Alrighty!"

* * *

Having recovered from the battle, the three Pokemon would then sit on the pews. It was then that Lenny would muse, "I couldn't help but notice… you two are here, but… where's Merton?"

"Oh, well Cuz is over at his hometown.", Colin answered, "Him and Uncle Morton haven't visited in the past 5 years…I really miss them..."

Karen blurted out, "Hmph… I guess I miss the stinkball too, but… he still owes me an Apple!", she said in a huff as this was clearly bugging her.

"Karen, you're still thinking about that…?", Colin remarked, thinking this was kind of silly.

"He owes me, Collie! He promised!", Karen was really not having this. It seemed like she was serious about things when it came to promises about Apples.

Lenny thought this was all funny though. He just sort of chuckled, "Well, it looks like things haven't changed much after all!"

Colin nervously laughed, "Eheheh… yeah…", while Karen just sorta looked the other way.

"Well… how have you two been all this time? It's been a long 5 years…", Lenny asked, attempting to break the ice of the previous tension.

"I've been training with my father here and there.", Colin replied.

"Ah yes, the great Cobalt.", Lenny recognized, "You were pretty good with fighting close quarters. Your father no doubt helped hone those skills."

"Heheh, yeah.", Colin let out a nervous laugh, "It's been a while since I last seen him, though. I wonder how he's doing..."

Lenny then faced Karen, "It's certainly interesting that you're taking up something like healing magic... what made you decide that?"

Karen suddenly got really nervous, "I-I...", then after a bit of a pause, "I decided to try something new! ...Y-yeah, that!"

"Well, it certainly will help in your travels!" Lenny then thought a bit, "Hmm… a fighter and a healer… Haha, you two complement each other so well, how cute!", Lenny grinned while Colin and Karen would start to blush. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?", a flustered Colin blurted out. Karen would stay silent, though it was rather obvious by her blushing and shifting eyes that she wouldn't necessarily deny such an implication. "Oh nothing, hahaha!", Lenny chuckled at Colin's response, "You should see your face, haha!" The flustered Buizel said nothing and a bit of an awkward silence followed. Lenny would then break the silence not long after, "Well, anyway... It's nice that you two are traveling together with such abilities. A good combination, to be sure!"

"Y-yeah…", Colin blurted, still half-flustered. "By the way… Why are you up here? Did you light all those torches?"

"Yes… I heard about an old temple up here in my travels… It seemed relevant to my interests, so I wanted to check it out.", Lenny responded. "I wanted to light the torches to get a better look around, you see."

"Ah, that makes sense.", Colin said.

"By the way… what are you two traveling for? What's this journey about?", Lenny asked.

"We're going to the Wigglytuff Guild!", Karen exclaimed.

"The Wigglytuff Guild?", Lenny questioned, "I'm surprised you didn't head to the Skuntank Guild right here on the Coriola Continent.", then Lenny would think on it a bit, "Then again… without an experienced guide, that would be near-impossible…"

"Yup… if only Merton was with us…", Colin lamented, then further explained, "But that's not the only reason! We believe we'll find the answers we need there. We want to find out more about who attacked our hometown 5 years ago."

"Hmm… What do you know about them so far?", the Grovyle wondered.

"All we really know is what they said when they delivered their message that day… and their name."

"What was their name...?"

"Team Tempest", the Buizel answered in a more stern demeanor. Lenny got wide-eyed for a bit. "Do you know anything about them?", Colin asked Lenny, noticing his reaction.

After a pause, the Grovyle answered, "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

"Dammit.", the Buizel cussed.

"Though… with a guild like that on your side, I bet you'll no doubt get the answers you seek!", Lenny assured, "The intel of that guild is second-to-none!"

This made Colin feel better, "Yeah, that's right!"

"The Wigglytuff Guild is on the Treasure Continent quite a ways to our east across the ocean.", Lenny started to explain, "Derecha Town, a town on the Derecha Coastline on the other side of this mountain, operates ferries. I don't know the hours they run but if you catch a ferry, you'll be on your way to the Guild!"

"Woah, really? Thanks for the info, Lenny!", Colin was happy to get directions.

"Yeah, thankies!", Karen reinforced the gratitude.

"Not a problem, old friends!", the green gecko Pokemon happily replied before going off to a corner of the room, the two other Pokemon following close-by. He pushed a loose space in the wall, which caused the adjacent section of the wall to lift up and reveal a passageway. "The exit of this place is through this passage. You can continue your journey from there, you'll eventually find yourself on the Derecha Coastline. Derecha Town will be straight ahead!"

"Thanks again, man!", Colin thanked his Grovyle friend again, "It was really nice to talk to you after all this time!"

"Same here! It was a pleasure, Lenny!", Karen said.

"The pleasure is all mine, my friends! Good luck on your journey!", the Grovyle happily waved.

"Thanks! See ya around, Lenny!", the Buizel said as he went through the passageway, followed by a "Bye bye!" from Karen before she followed her companion in.

Lenny would then gaze into the passageway as he seen them leave. "Team Tempest, huh? I see…", the Grovyle hung his head. "It seems our next encounter… may not be a nice one…"


	3. Hey Hey! A Guild Member in Derecha Town!

After they concluded their unexpected meeting with their old friend Lenny, Colin and Karen continued into the passage that was said to lead them out of the temple. It was a relatively narrow passageway with similar wear and tear that the rest of the place had. This room was much darker but not completely pitch black as there were windows on the other side illuminating the way just enough for the two to see. Not long after, the two would soon come across the exit to the outdoors. It was back out in the cold for them!

"Brrrrr! Back in the cold we go!", the ele-Squirrel would exclaim in an annoyed tone.

"Looks like it…", the Buizel would confirm. Then as he looked straight ahead, he noticed something, "Wait a minute…"

The two would run a little further, stopped a bit away from the edge as they gazed down the mountain. "Hey, we made it to the peak!", the Buizel cheered. "Yay!", the Pachirisu would cheer as well.

"Look.", Colin pointed toward a small coastal town that seemed to be ahead that could be seen since they're on the other side of the mountain. Water stretched away from the coast as far as the eye could see. It was clear that this was the ocean and the coastal town was Derecha Town, the town Lenny had alluded to that had a ferry to the Treasure Continent. "That must be Derecha Town…", the Buizel would then put on a confident smile, "That's our next destination!"

Karen was anxious to start climbing down the mountain path to escape the cold and get to the town, "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The two would begin to make their way down the mountain path. It seemed easier since they knew they were on their way off the mountain and they had a clear destination. The time seemed to slip right by as they continued down the snowy path and eventually they would come to the base of the mountain. They were happy to finally be walking on green grass now after treading through all that snow, not to mention feeling a more comfortable temperature rather than the cold of the high altitudes.

"Finally off those mountains!", Karen joyously blurted out.  
"It's not far now! To Derecha Town!", Colin would enthusiastically declare before the two continued, straight ahead eastward from the mountain toward the direction of that town they saw back on the mountain peak.

After a great deal of walking to the east, Colin and Karen finally made it to Derecha Town.

"Yay, we're finally here!", Karen cheered.

"Yeah!", Colin joined, "Now we just have to find where the ferries are…"

Derecha Town was a small town with a few buildings and a dock at the end of town. An Inn, a few homes, and then a bit of a marketplace in the open space between the homes and the dock. The two Pokemon weren't too interested in the stalls as they went straight for the dock. They would then get to the wooden pier and look around. They only observed a single boat, not quite as small as a simple rowboat but not as big as a ship either. It didn't look all that impressive either, not even seeming to sport a symbol of any kind on its relatively small sail or the boat itself.

"A single boat…? Is this the ferry?", the Buizel blurted out.

Just then, a Crawdaunt approached them from behind. "Hey hey! What are you two looking for?", the Pokemon said in a crusty yet playful voice.

Colin and Karen kinda jumped, surprised by the Pokemon. "W-well, we're trying to look for a ferry.", Colin said, still kinda out of it from being caught by surprise.

"I'm sorry to say, but all the ferries just closed down not too long ago, hey hey…", the crustacean regretfully replied.

"What!?", Colin blurted, not really paying attention to the time. He was so focused on their objective that he didn't notice that the sun was setting. Even so, he wasn't aware of the schedule either. Lenny did say he wasn't aware of the schedule either when he told the two about the ferries.

"Awwwwwww, that stinks!", Karen complained in a rather annoyed voice.

The red Pokemon, taking on a curious look, would ask, "Say… where do you two plan to go, hey?"

"Well… we were planning on going to the Wigglytuff Guild and-", upon hearing the Wigglytuff Guild, the Pokemon would then cut Colin off, "Hey hey! The Wigglytuff Guild, huh!? That's where I'm from, hey hey!"

The two young Pokemon lit up a bit hearing that, "Really!?", Karen said with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Yes! I actually work for the Guild, hey hey!", the Pokemon replied.

"That's great!", the Buizel expressed with a renewed confidence, "Maybui we can ask for a ride?"

"H-hey hey, hold on there, kiddo! I still have something to do here!", the crustacean nervously responded. He would think a bit, rubbing his pincer along just below his mouth. "Hmmm… say, would I be wrong in assuming you two are planning on joining the Guild by any chance, hey?"

The Buizel would think for a bit. They had planned on becoming explorers eventually, though they hadn't really thought about doing it right away yet. Mulling over the fact they were going to the guild anyway, that it was a goal at some point, and that this could give them opportunities to investigate more on their enemy, he'd resolved that that's what they were going to do. Karen was likely thinking of the same thing. "Well, we did plan on becoming explorers eventually… so no, you wouldn't bui wrong at all in assuming that."

"Hey hey! That's excellent!", the Crawdaunt seemed rather happy about this. He would calm down and continue, "I think I should give you two… a little test, hey hey."

"A test?", Karen asked.

"Yes.", the crustacean would then explain, "You see… there is a cave a ways to the northwest of this town. Locals call it Derecha Cave. I was sent here to look for this mighty rare rock that's said to be within that cave. Though… we're unsure if the reports are true or if there's even any more traces of this rock left, hey hey…"

"Wait, so you're not even sure if the rock is there?", Colin would ask.

"Nope, hey hey…", the Pokemon sulked for a bit, but then sprang back up, "But we won't know unless we try! This leads us to where you two come in! Would you two be willing to go fetch that rock for me, hey hey?"

"Hmm…", the Buizel rubbed his chin, "I suppose this could give us a taste of what exploring is like…", then enthusiastically declared, "Sure thing!"

"Yeah! It sounds easy enough!", Karen cheered, "Just a rock, right?"

"Hey hey, that's great!", the red Pokemon replied in glee. He then calmed and explained some more, "Now, this rock… it's rather rare and magical. Looking for it shouldn't be that difficult. It looks so different from the rest in the cave, it will more than likely stick out like a sore thumb, hey."

"So a rock that looks different from all the rest.", the Buizel reviewed, then answered with a confident "Gotcha!"

"Good luck on the hunt, you two, hey hey!", the Crawdaunt wished as he waved at two Pokemon that were waving back as they walked away. "Don't worry, we'll get ya that rock!", the Buizel promised.

Colin and Karen, now in front of Derecha Town's Inn, had conversed a bit as it was getting dark out.

"It's getting pretty late. We should probably get some rest.", Colin said.

"I agree! We had quite a day! I'm so tiiired!", Karen would reply.

"Alright, tomorrow morning, we set off! To Derecha Cave!", Colin declared.

"Yeah!", Karen cheered, eager to get a good night's sleep before continuing.

The night had come and gone, and the sunshine of a brand new day shone on the town. It wasn't long after that the two exited the inn and went into town to buy a few supplies. Some apples, berries, seeds, the works for a mission like this. Their times playing Explorers and stories from their fathers had prepared them a bit on what one should get to prepare.

"I think we're all set!", Colin said as they were about to walk out of town.

"Yup! Now, onward to the Derecha Cave! What are we waiting for!? Let's go!", Karen chattered excitedly before they began on their journey northwest-ward toward the cave.

* * *

They would transverse through the grasslands that made up the Derecha Coastline. Off in the distance to the west was the range of the Derecha Mountains they had just departed from the day before, towering high to block the view of their homeland on the other side. They'd progress toward the northwest and before they knew it, they were facing the opening of a cave. This cave was on a different part of the Derecha Mountains a ways north of the mountain path the two crossed before.

"So this is Derecha Cave, huh?", Colin questioned.

"Huh…", Karen then thought a bit, "Heeeey, isn't this that cave that Merton said that he and his dad had to go through to get to his hometown from ours?"

"Hey, ya know, that's right!", Colin answered, "Though, getting to Mephia is no easy task… you'd need an experienced guide who knows the way and how to get through those steep rocks to get there." He had also told Lenny this was a reason he didn't go to the Guild up that way for answers on their enemies.

"Yeah…", Karen said.

"Anyway, this is the place that Pokemon told us that rock was at…", Colin then would go into thinking again, "Say… he never did tell us his name, huh?"

"Yeah, that's right!", Karen added, "He sure liked to say 'Hey' a lot… let's call him Mr. Hey!", she said playfully.

"Haha, no complaints here!", the Buizel slightly giggled at the name, than snapped out of that to face the cave once more with a confidence grin, "Alright, Karen… let's go look for this rock for Mr. Hey!"

"Right behind ya, Collie!", Karen answered before the two started into the cave.


	4. Derecha Cave! A Taste of Real Exploring?

Determined to start on their search, the Buizel and Pachirisu began taking their first steps into the cave. They would feel a decrease in the temperature as they went further in. The light from the outside would begin to dim as they progressed, though things wouldn't go completely dark as there were lit torches along the wall just enough to light the way ahead of them. All the rocks they would pass all had a color palette from a tan to brown to gray, similar to the walls of the cave. Just as the Crawdaunt had said; it really wouldn't be hard to spot a strange-colored rock if the entire cave is like this. A ways into the cave, the two would observe their surroundings. As they passed by, they would see pickaxes, an abandoned wheelbarrow here and there, rope, and even wooden supports along the walls as well.

"Huh… it looks like there was a good bit of mining being done here before.", Colin noted.

"Yeah…", Karen replied, then after a bit she would come across a skull and a few bones on the ground, making her shriek.

Colin turned quickly, "What's wrong!?"

The Pachirisu was terrified as she pointed the bones out, "Th-th-there's bones!"

Gazing upon the remains unsettled Colin, "Oh dear… it looks like some Pokemon didn't make it…"

"This place is scaaary! Why did it have to be like this!?", Karen complained out loud.

With a bit of a rattle in his voice, the Buizel spoke, "W-well, this is a taste of exploring… if we're going to be explorers… we might have to get used to stuff like this."

Karen wasn't thrilled, but understood nonetheless. "I guess you're right… uggghhhh, I hope that rock shows up soon!"

The two would go on further. The sightings of the bones and evidence of mining would be more often encountered. It really did seem like a full-on mining operation was done here in the past. The thought of this was showing up in the twos' minds.

"Man, all this mining stuff… there's even more the deeper we go…", Colin observed.

"Yeah… you think there was more of that rock Mr. Hey is looking for here a long time ago?", Karen asked.

The Buizel would think, then came to a demoralizing realization. "What if… what if they mined it all? What if there really is no more of it left and this would've all been for nothing...?"

Karen didn't wanna think about that, as likely as it may seem. "H-hey! We won't know 'til we look! We can't give up, Collie!"

After a few moments of thought, this seemed to assure Colin. "Heh, you're right… We can't give up! That's why we're here! Even if we don't find it… that counts toward a report!" This was enough to motivate the two to going deeper in.

By now, they were quite deep into the cave. Ahead of the explorers-to-be at the end of the rocky corridor they were in stood a rock on a flat-topped broken stalagmite, as if on a pedestal. This rock certainly looked different from all the rest with its purple color, as well as being translucent like a crystal.

"Is that it…?", Colin wondered as he saw it from a distance.

"That must be it! It certainly sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest!", Karen answered with a bit of excitement in her voice.

The two ran toward it before they were met with a sudden voice yelling "STOP!"

Colin and Karen jumped and suddenly turned around as the voice seemed to come from behind them. Sure enough, three Pokemon had approached them swiftly. There was a Kabutops that was accompanied by two Kabuto. The Kabutops seemed to be the leader and neither of the Pokemon seemed all that happy.

"What do you think you're doing!?", the Kabutops yelled at the two.

This startled Colin and Karen. They didn't expect there to be other Pokemon, much less being yelled at by them. "W-we're here for that rock over there", Colin said as he pointed toward the rock at the end of the corridor.

"WHAT!?", the Kabutops roared, "YOU CAN'T HAVE OUR MOST SACRED OF ORES!"

Shocked at this revelation, Karen replied, "But we need this rock! Maybe we can make a de-"

"NOOO!", the agitated brown Pokemon would yell before starting to run toward them in a rage, "YOU CANNOT HAVE IT. YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR YOUR GREED!"

The two swiftly dodged the raging Pokemon. "We don't wanna steal it! We can work something out!", Colin pleaded.

The Kabutops turned around to face the two Pokemon again after his fit of rage. "If you really must have it… YOU MUST FIGHT!", it said before running at Colin, lunging his right scythe arm for a swipe at him. Colin swiftly dodged by jumping off to the side, but just as he would recover from the dodge, one of the Kabuto tackled into him to send him flying back a few feet.

"Hey, that's dirty!", Karen yelled out as she started to build a charge of electricity. After a second or two, she charged straight for the Kabuto and bashed into it with a full-force Spark, sending it flying several feet away. As she caught her breath, she seemed surprised at her own strength. She didn't think too much about that though as she was more concerned about Colin, "Don't you dare hurt Collie!"

This caught the Kabutops' attention as it would turn toward and run to the Kabuto that Karen just ran into's side.

Colin got up from the ground and saw what just happened. He was surprised and a bit proud of his friend, then he started to realize that the Kabuto wasn't immediately getting up. In fact, it seemed to be zonked out from that attack. _Looks like she really did a number on it..._ , he would think, _she charged up her electricity beforehand... could that be why?_

"Collie, are you alright!?", Karen ran to Colin, "Hold on, I'll heal you!"

"Nah, I'm fine! It wasn't that bad!", Colin assured.

"Aww, if you say so!", Karen replied after she seen that Colin didn't seem to be seriously hurt.

Colin shifted his look at the Kabutops that was beginning to turn toward them. "I think they might be weak to your electricity, Karen."

"Really?", Karen was a bit surprised at this.

"I'm not entirely sure, but that Pokemon you attacked isn't getting back up. It looks like it's really out for the count.", Colin explained.

"Ah, I see!", she was a bit proud but more excited. She looked toward the other Kabuto with a determined look, from which it responded with a seemingly anxious look. "I know where this is going!", she muttered before she was charging up her electricity and running toward it.

The Kabutops noticed that she was about to go for its other Kabuto, "NOT SO FAST, YOU!"

Colin was running just behind Karen to cover her. Just as the Kabutops began to zoom towards Karen, the Buizel quickly turned to the brown Pokemon and stopped its scythe arm with his Buizuken that he had formed just before turning to meet this clash. "That's my line!"

After the clash of blades, the two would jump back before initiating an exchange of swipes and clashes.

Karen was still going for the Kabuto. Before it could move away, it was too slow and the Pachirisu rammed into it with her Spark attack. Just like the other one, it went down immediately.

Colin and the Kabutops were really into their clash match. After a few more clashes, they would jump back from their latest clash to catch their breath. Karen ran up to Colin's side following her one-sided victory against the Kabuto.

"Karen, I think I'm going to need your help here…", Colin said as he was panting, noticeably exhausted from both the fight and his Buizuken being out.

She gave him a nod with an affirmative "Right!"; she knew exactly what to do.

"Impressive, you two!", the Kabutops announced, "But this isn't over yet!" He started to charge for Colin.

Colin charged for him too, going into what seemed like another exchange of swipes and clashes. At the last possible moment, Colin sported a smirk and immediately shot a stream of water out his mouth at the Kabutops, catching it completely off guard with his Water Gun. Before it could shake off the water it was shot with, Karen was already prepared with her body charged with electricity. With a determined grin on her face, she rammed straight into the off-guard brown Pokemon. What was already a strong shocking blow was only magnified by the water it was covered with. It flew back a ways and stayed down for quite a bit; it was over.

Karen ran to Colin, "We did it!" she cheered excitedly.

"That we did, Karen!", Colin joined with a thumbs up.

"Ugh… you two are strong indeed…", the Kabutops muttered as it slowly got up. The Kabuto had gotten up as well and crawled to the Kabutops' side before facing Colin and Karen.

"You've proven yourselves… you may get that rock. However, will you be able to get out of here with it... alive…?", the Kabutops said before he and his two Kabuto ran away.

The two Pokemon, unsure of what to make of that last sentence, went toward the rock and Colin then picked it up.

"We finally got it!", Colin announced in accomplishment.

"Uh, Collie… what do you think that Pokemon meant by that…?", Karen questioned, kinda spooked by the words the Kabutops spoke before leaving.

"I'm not sure… but we're going back!", he would reply.

Just then, the ground would shake a bit. "W-what was that…?", Colin fearfully questioned.

Then the ground shook even more, not really stopping this time like the previous shake had.

"I-it's an earthquake!", Karen yelled.

Colin would look around and had come to a rather fearful conclusion as small rocks would rain down from the ceiling in all this shaking, "It looks like this cave is going to give out! We have to get out of here!", Colin exclaimed as the two started to run for the entrance.

The whole cave shook as bits of rock were falling from the ceiling. The torches lining the way would stay and thankfully so as this would allow their escape to be all the swifter. Colin and Karen would speed their way toward the entrance. After quite a bit of running, they could finally see the light of the outside world in front of them. As they were about to run out, a bit of a more violent shaking took place. Getting the instinct that this would be close, they jumped out of the cave. Just as they were greeted by the grass and sun, the entrance had caved in behind them. As the two would pick themselves up and look back at the now-inaccessable entrance of Derecha Cave, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Phew, that was really close!", Colin said.

"You said it!", Karen joined, rather distraught at nearly being crushed.

"Dang, that was crazy!", Colin exclaimed.

"We could've been killed!", Karen continued.

"Oh man… is exploring always this dangerous…?", Colin questioned, a bit intimidated by the thought.

"Oh my…", Karen would say as she thought about that too.

"Well… we got out alive… Let's get this rock to Mr. Hey.", the Buizel resolved.

"Yeah…", Karen answered, still out of it from the whole experience. The two would then start to head back to Derecha Town.

Colin and Karen, a Buizel and a Pachirisu that are determined to find answers about who attacked their hometown 5 years prior, had just overcome a trial that seemed to test them for real exploring. Now they go on back to Derecha Town, where they aim to finish their task by giving a Crawdaunt claiming to work at the Wigglytuff Guild a rock that he had assigned them to fetch him. A trip to the Wigglytuff Guild awaits the two as their journey continues!


	5. Mission Done! To the Wigglytuff Guild!

On the western end of Derecha Town arrived Colin and Karen, relatively exhausted from this ordeal they have just overcome. They made their way through town, aiming to go straight to the docks to meet up with the Crawdaunt that sent them to Derecha Cave. As they begin exiting through the town square marketplace and onto the pier, there was the Crawdaunt they were looking for.

"Hey hey! How goes the tes-", the Pokemon was cut off as Colin, almost as if he couldn't wait to, presented the rock. "Here's your rock."

The Crawdaunt, initially caught by surprise by the cutoff, then started to cheer, "Hey hey, that's great! You got it!"

Colin looked at the Crawdaunt all serious, "Do you know just what we went through to get that?"

"Huh?", the crustacean Pokemon was a bit confused.

"The cave almost caved in on us! We could've been killed!", Karen yelled as she was rather annoyed by that fact.

"Hey hey, well that's how it is sometimes. Us explorers risk our lives every day, hey.", the Crawdaunt explained.

Kinda shocked, Colin exclaimed, "Are you serious!?"

Karen, also shocked, muttered in a fearful tone, "S-so much risk… is it all really worth it?"

"Great adventures will often come with great risks, hey.", the Crawdaunt replied, "But with great risk… comes great rewards! Knowledge, fame, wealth, keeping the peace, or just the thrill of it all! That is what we risk our lives for, hey hey!"

Taking all this in, a kind of intimidated Colin responds, "I guess ya have a point there, Mr. Hey…"

The crustacean Pokemon perked up a bit, followed by in an annoyed tone, "Hey hey! What did you call me!?"

The Buizel was surprised by the reaction, "Well… you didn't really introduce yourself and you say 'hey' a lot!"

"Oh, hahaha! How silly of me, hey hey!", the Crawdaunt bashfully rubbed the back of his head, "You can just call me Crawdaunt! That's what I go by, ya know!"

"Got it, Crawdaunt!", Colin assured with a smile.

"Hmm… speaking of names… what do you two go by, hey hey?", Crawdaunt curiously asked.

Colin answered, "My name is Colin!"

"And mine's Karen!", Karen followed.

The red Pokemon thought on it a bit, as if he heard those names from somewhere before, "Colin and Karen, huh? Interesting, hey hey."

"Huh?", Colin asked, thinking that was kind of a strange thing to say.

"Oh it's nothing! Nothing at all!", Crawdaunt replied, though his answer did seem a bit suspicious. "Anyway, you two have had a long day and the sun's setting. Let's crash for the night and set sail for the Guild tomorrow morning!"

Both Colin and Karen were relieved to hear that. After nodding in agreement and waving each other off to head for bed, the two went for the inn. It wasn't long before they fell asleep, they were really exhausted from that trial of theirs, but it all worked out in the end and they were finally going to the Wigglytuff Guild.

The night went by fast and by the time the sun was rising, Colin and Karen had awoken. Under the dawn sky, the two made their way to the pier to meet Crawdaunt, Colin holding the purple rock they collected. At the end of the pier, there was the red Pokemon getting the boat ready.

"Hey hey! All aboard!", he said as he waved at Colin and Karen. They both called out and waved back before running toward the boat. Crawdaunt crossed the gangplank to board the boat and the two had followed. "Next stop, the Treasure Continent, hey hey!", the red Pokemon announced before he brought in the gangplank and hoisted the sail. The Buizel and Pachirisu would just watch in awe as they saw the ship-savvy Pokemon set sail and eventually man the wheel. The ship started moving and they gained speed on a tailwind; they were finally on their way eastward toward the Treasure Continent!

Some time passed by and the two Pokemon were standing along the edge of the boat, holding on the railing staring into the water. "Finally, we're on our way to the Wigglytuff Guild!", Karen blurted out excitedly.

"Looks like it.", Colin nodded with a smile, "The guild our fathers worked at… still do, if I recall!"

"Yeah! You think we'll see them there?", the Pachirisu was a tad more excited at the possibility.

"Hmmm… that's a possibility!", Colin answered, actually kind of anxious of the chance to see his father again.

Some more time passed before Colin broke the silence, "Hey… Karen?"

"Yeah, Collie?"

"There's… something I always wanted to know.", Colin asked. Things seemed to get serious all of the sudden. Karen would just tilt her head at Colin, sort of confused and curious.

"Remember when we were talking to Lenny back at that temple?", the Buizel questioned, "When he asked you why you took up healing magic, you kinda froze up at first. Come to think of it, you never really told even me why you were studying healing magic…", Colin then looked at Karen, "What made you look into something like that? It's not every day a Pokemon takes up something like that."

Karen got nervous, then seemed resigned as she could no longer avoid the topic. She sighed, "I guess I couldn't hide it for long, huh?", a nervous giggle before she continued, hanging her head, "Collie, do you remember that day 5 years ago? The day our village was attacked…?"  
Upon hearing that, Colin briefly got wide-eyed before sporting a saddened look. "Yeah… how could I forget? It's the reason we're on this journey…"

"Yeah… when Team Tempest attacked…", the ele-squirrel remembered the details of how she flew back hitting the tree and falling on the ground after a devastating Thunderpunch from one of those offending Pokemon. Colin going to her side afterwards, putting himself in harm's way to protect her, then her waking up to witness this. Thoughts of how helpless she felt at the time raced through her head. "I… I felt like a burden." Her voice would get a tad shaky. "I felt like I couldn't do anything… so helpless…"

"Karen…", Colin muttered worriedly.

She went on, "Back then… I was careless… and nearly got us both killed…"

Colin responded, "Karen, it wasn't your fault…", the Buizel then hung his head, "I'm just as guilty… I put my life at risk as well…", he jerked his head up and looked toward the Pachirisu. "But I did what I had to to protect you! Even if our enemies were Rank X Outlaws…"

Karen said nothing, still kinda down. She was happy to have such a friend by her side that'd lay down his life for her, but at the same time wanted to be able to stand on her own feet and even help others. After a bit of a silence, she spoke up again. "I took up healing magic to… be useful and… not a burden…"

The Buizel's mouth opened in shock hearing that before he followed, "Karen… you're not ever a burden to me."

Karen slightly lit up and looked at Colin before he continued, "I admit that your studies into healing magic can be a big help on our journey. But… Karen… I don't ever consider you a burden, no matter what…" Karen sorta welled up before Colin muttered again, "I should've done a better job at protecting you…"

"Oh Collie…", the Pachirisu was touched by his words and just gave the Buizel a big hug, one that the Buizel would return after.

Crawdaunt had overheard the conversation at the ship's wheel. "O-oh dear… these kids endured an attack by Rank X Outlaws…? They've been through so much, hey…", the crustacean Pokemon whispered to himself as he continued sailing the ship eastward.

Quite a bit of time had passed after that and it looked like land could be seen ahead. "Land ho, hey hey!", Crawdaunt yelled.

Colin and Karen, who had been sitting on the floor of the deck all dozed off, had awoken and perked right up. They seen a cliff off in the distance that resembled the Shark-like Pokemon Sharpedo. "See, that there's Sharpedo Bluff! We're really close now, hey hey!"

The two Pokemon were excited to soon be at the Guild. "It's so close now… the Wigglytuff Guild!", Karen exclaimed.

The boat stopped and Crawdaunt put down the gangplank to bridge the ship and the beach. The red Pokemon was first to embark, followed by Colin and Karen. As they walked along the beach, he started to speak. "Hey hey! Look over there, the Krabby!"

The crab-like Pokemon off in the distance were blowing bubbles toward the sunset. This breathtaking sight really got the two. "That's so neat…", Karen muttered as she looked on to the sight with wonder and awe.

"It is…", Colin joined with a similar admiration to all this.

"Yes, those bubbles the Krabby blow… they make this sunset so alluring, hey hey. Explorers would come here to unwind, just to take in this wondrous sight.", Crawdaunt explained further.

"I'll say! It's so calming...", Karen added. They would all take some time to take in this spectacle.

"Alright, let's continue, hey hey!", the crustacean Pokemon announced before heading off, the two upstarts following close behind. There was a dirt path leading off from the beach and after a left turn, they would come across a crossroads. Crawdaunt stopped and faced the two. "Just ahead from these crossroads is the Guild, hey hey!", he'd say before going on. What could be seen ahead was the face of a high cliff with a steep stairway going into the middle of it and up to the top. There were also windows on each side of the cliff. Crawdaunt, Colin, and Karen went on to climb the staircase to the top, where they were greeted with a yellow tent with what looked like a float in the shape of a big pink Pokemon at the end of the path. This path was lined with torches and flags that had a symbol that resembled what was lined along the yellow tent. This was it, it was the Wigglytuff Guild. They had finally made it.

They made it to their destination. There's no telling what they'll exactly find out right away or just how much investigating they're in for. One thing that's certain is that they're going to see if they'll be eligible to register sooner rather than later as their journey continues!


	6. A Not-So-Pleasant Guild Introduction!

The Buizel and Pachirisu stared at the tent before them, one that was topped with what seemed like a balloon in the shape of a Wigglytuff. There was a closed gate at the front door blocking entry into the Guild. It was then when Crawdaunt had confirmed that they got to their destination. "Hey hey, we're here! The Wigglytuff Guild!", the red Pokemon announced to the two.

"We're finally here…", Karen muttered.

Crawdaunt would then head on ahead and eventually stand on top of what looked like a wooden grate in the ground encircled by rocks. Moments after, the party would be greeted with a voice that sounded like it was coming from down the grate.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!  
Whose footprint? Whose footprint?  
This footprint is Crawdaunt's! This footprint is Crawdaunt's"

This was followed by a louder, much more gruff voice. "WELCOME BACK. PLEASE PROCEED!", the voice shouted before the gate blocking entry into the Guild opened up. The crustacean Pokemon would then go on and then turn back at the two upstarts.

"W-what was that about?", Colin asked without a clue of what just happened. Karen looked just as confused and somewhat worried.

"That, my friends, is the security system of our guild in action, hey hey!", Crawdaunt answered with a bit of pride in his answer, "What are ya waiting for, give it a try!"

The Buizel just stepped onto the grate carefully before that same high-pitched voice that greeted the Crawdaunt went on.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!  
Whose footprint? Whose footprint?  
This footprint is Buizel's! This footprint is Buizel's!"

Through all of this, Colin just stood still. He was too nervous to really do much else, still getting the hang of this system. Karen just watched, nervously awaiting her turn.

"YOU THERE!", the louder deeper voice yelled. This caused Colin to jump in surprise.

"Ahh! W-who's there?", the surprised Buizel replied.

"YOU'VE COME WITH CRAWDAUNT. YOU TWO MUST BE GOOD POKEMON.", the voice judged, "GET OFF THE GRATE AND LET YOUR FRIEND THERE ON."

"Y-yes sir…!", Colin answered before he jumped off right away and signaled to Karen that it was her turn. The Pachirisu would then step onto the grate. Once again, the higher voice sounded.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!  
Whose footprint? Whose footprint?  
This footprint is Pachirisu's! This footprint is Pachirisu's!"

Karen was rather nervous as well after this. It seemed like an awkward moment for her standing there as she waited for the Pokemon below to evaluate her footprint.

"GOOD WORK, YOU TWO! NOW PLEASE PROCEED WITHIN THE TENT WITH CRAWDAUNT!", the louder voice finished.

With that, the two Pokemon looked at each other before they went to enter the tent. Inside was a large sign beside a ladder going down through a hole in the floor. The sign had a list of 10 basic explorer rules written on it, presented as the Wigglytuff Guild's Motto. Colin and Karen just continued to follow Crawdaunt down the ladder, not really paying much mind to the sign. They had then reached the first basement floor, where they would walk to the center of the room. Looking around, they noted the hustle and bustle of the guild. The left and right side of the room each had a large bulletin board beside the ladders with some Pokemon gathered in front of each. There were also a few Pokemon in line in front of a stand on the side to their left that a Chimecho manned.

"Welcome to the Wigglytuff Guild, you two, hey hey!", Crawdaunt introduced.

Colin and Karen just looked around in awe. "Woah… this place sure is busy!", Colin noted.

"Yup! Being the Exploration Guild of this region, this is to be expected, hey hey!", the red crustacean Pokemon replied before he continued, "You two should follow me! I'll take you to the Guildmaster!"

The two upstarts would listen and follow Crawdaunt down the ladder to the second floor basement. This floor seemed more spacious, mainly due to the fact there were less Pokemon here. There was a Toxicroak manning a stall that bore his image with a caldron within it to their right, a little bit further down was a purple Pokemon sitting in front of a hole in the ground. Beside the hole that Pokemon was at was a doorway that had a sign reading "Mess Hall" above it. On the other side of the room was a hallway that had a sign saying "Crew Rooms". As the two noted the features of this floor, a Chatot had hopped up to them.

"Hey there! You two are the ones we just let in, right?", the Chatot asked.

"That would bui us!", Colin replied enthusiastically.

Moving his right wing to his chest, he introduced himself in a bit of a song, "I'm Chatot! I'm the Pokemon in the know around these parts! I am Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right-hand Pokemon!" Then following a bit of a pause, he pointed his wing toward the ladder going up, "Now, off you go! We have no time for you darned salespokemon with your silly sales and wacky surveys."

"Wha…?", Colin blinked, unsure of why he said that. Karen was beyond confused as well.

"Uh… Chatot, these Pokemon came from the Coriola continent and want to see the Guildmaster about registering, hey…", the red Pokemon clarified.

After going wide-eyed and being a tad embarrassed about the misunderstanding, Chatot picked himself back up, "Ah, yes… so these are explorer hopefuls?", then with a rather abrupt change toward a cheery welcoming demeanor, "Welcome to the Wigglytuff Guild! Squawk squawk!".

Colin and Karen were both taken aback by the change in attitude. "Well, he sure changed quickly…", Colin whispered, followed by Karen's "Yeah…"

Chatot then switched to a bit of a stern attitude again. "Unfortunately, you must wait before you can talk to the Guildmaster. He is currently in the process of registering a new team as we speak!"

"Woah, really?", Colin blurted out.

"Yes. In fact, you might know them! A trio of Pokemon that also came from the Coriola continent!", Chatot answered.

"Trio of Pokemon…", Colin muttered before Karen finished, "Also from Coriola…?" Then after a bit of thought, the two Pokemon had this somewhat fearful look on their faces. "No way, not them!", Colin said. "Of all the rotten luck!", Karen followed rather annoyedly.

"Oh, so you do know them!", Chatot responded to their reactions.

"Yeah we do… if it's the three we're thinking it is…", Colin remarked, seeming somewhat demoralized.

"Good! That saves the trouble of having to introduce them!", the parrot Pokemon said seemingly joyed about not having to introduce them himself. "Anyway, it'll be a bit before this team's registration is complete. How about ya have a look around in the meantime, squawk!"

"Sure thing, sir!", Colin replied before the two would go and have a look around the room. They seemed pretty curious about the purple Pokemon that seemed to be manning a rather big hole in the ground beside the Mess Hall. Their curiosity ensured a meeting with that Pokemon as Colin opened his mouth to greet, "Uh, hello there!"

The Pokemon turned around in response, who turned out to be an Exploud. "HELLO THERE!", he greeted back before noting something, "OH, IT'S YOU TWO. THE ONES WE JUST LET IN!"

Colin and Karen were absolutely wrecked by just how loud this Pokemon was up close. Their fur would stand on end as they held their ears, "UUUGH! Why are you yelling!? We're right here!", Karen screamed in retaliation to the really loud Pokemon.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? THIS IS MY NORMAL VOICE!", Exploud went on with that obnoxiously loud voice of his.

"My ears!", Colin yelled as he held his ears tight.  
"I-inside voices, much!? You're killing our eardrums!", Karen shrieked at the extremely loud Pokemon.

"WELL EXCUUUUUSE ME!", Exploud responded in a slightly louder tone.

"Ugh, ears are ringing so much...!", the Buizel said rather disgruntled.  
"I... I think I'm going to go deaf...!", Karen yelled as she was feeling like her protests earlier weren't really helping.

Chatot was getting sick of all this noise and hopped on over to the source, "Exploud, keep your ridiculously loud voice down! The Guildmaster is registering a team!", he warned in a rather stern tone.

"HMPH!", the loud Pokemon grunted after being scolded. The parrot Pokemon glared at Exploud before hopping back next to the Guildmaster's door.

After a bit of a pause, Colin tried to apologize to the loud purple Pokemon, "S-sorry... I mean no disrespect..."

Exploud responded in a surprisingly soft voice that matched a normal speaking voice rather ashamed, "It's okay. It's my manners that needs work. I forget just how loud I really am..."

"That's better!", Karen blurted out, relieved to finally be able to talk to him normally, "Is it really so hard to talk like this?"

With a sweatdrop, Exploud answered, "Well... it is easy to forget since I'm whispering right now..."

Colin sorta wore a comically confused look as he and Karen looked at each other, "T-this is whispering?"  
"It's a bit louder than an normal talking voice...", Karen said out loud.

Hearing all this, Exploud was rather annoyed, "WELL, SOOOOORRY!"

The sudden change to the loud voice caught the two off-guard. "Ugh, jeeez!", Karen retaliated.  
"Ugh... I suppose we were asking for that one...", the Buizel said as he laughed nervously.

"Anyway... the name's Exploud.", the purple Pokemon said in a softer voice, "I'm the one that allows Pokemon in and out of this place! Stay out of trouble and you two will be fine!"

"W-we'll keep that in mind!", Colin assured before Colin and Karen walked away and toward Chatot.

Just as they reached the parrot Pokemon, there was a really loud voice coming from the Guildmaster's Office "YOOM-TAH!"

"Eeeek! What's going on!?", Karen shrieked, holding her ears down.

"W-what on Earth was that!?", Colin said after jumping at such a loud noise.

"Oh hush down, you two. That was just the Guildmaster registering our newest team!", Chatot answered.

"Why does it have to be so looooud!", Karen replied as she was still freaking out over it.

Chatot had a bit of a second-hand embarrassment from having to explain his superior's behavior, "You see… the Guildmaster can be quite eccentric…"

"I'll say!", an annoyed Karen responded.

Just then, the door to the Guildmaster's Office opened and out came three Pokemon. The first exiting the door was an Omanyte, the second was a Squirtle, followed by a Shellder. As Colin and Karen looked on to the team, they realized that their fears were confirmed; it was the three Pokemon they thought it was.

"Haha, no way! What a sight for sore eyes!", the Squirtle exclaimed as he saw the two upstarts.

"Hahaha, so you two made it here after all!", the Omanyte followed with a sneer.

"Hey, Collie~", the Shellder flirted with a wink.

Karen immediately grew angry when the Shellder did that. Colin tried to keep his cool, though he had a tad of fear. _Dammit, it was them…_ he thought. _Why did it have to be them!?,_ Karen thought at the same time.

"Oh, what's wrong? You don't seem happy to see us!", the Squirtle teased.

"Hahaha! What, are you wimps still afraid of us?", the Omanyte riled.

Colin didn't say anything, gritting his teeth and trying to keep his cool.

"Afraid of you? You gotta be kidding!", Karen blurted out to them.

The Shellder would approach with a grin, "What's wrong, Karen? Afraid I'll take Collie away from ya~?"

Karen wasn't very happy about that, "Don't be stupid! He's terrified of you! He'd never go with you!"

"Well now, it seems you all know each other quite well!", Chatot would just muse as all this is going on.

"Now listen up, you two! We're not just some playground ruffians anymore!", the Omanyte pointed out, giving a kind of proud gesture, "Feast your eyes on the new awesome exploration team Team Shellshock! Led by yours truly, Kaigoon!"

"His right-hand 'mon of the year, Benny!", the Squirtle pointed to himself full of pride.

"And the beautiful muscle of the team, Lora!", the Shellder proudly declared.

Colin wasn't very impressed, "I see you three are as cocky as ever."

Benny pointed at Colin seemingly in an attempt to intimidate him, "Hey, shut your mouth or we'll sic Lora on you again!"

That seemed to work; Colin appeared to gain a scared look at that thought while Lora was looking at him enticingly, "Your tail is mine, Buizel~"

Colin stepped back in fear holding his tail like he was protecting it, "Aaah! S-stay away from me!"

Karen just wasn't taking this as she moved in front of Colin in a defensive way, "Back off, Lora!"

"Jeez, Karen, jealous much? Hahaha!", the Shellder just giggled teasingly as Karen glared at her.

"Luckily for you two, we won't cause a commotion here! We don't want to mess up the guild with petty fighting, heheh.", Kaigoon sneered before starting to move, "We'll take our leave from here for now! I certainly hope we can get along, heheheh!" And just like that, the three went for the ladder and went on up.

Colin and Karen kept their eyes on them as they left.

Colin, recovering from the fear of getting his tails bit by Lora, let out a sign of relief, "Oh, thank Arceus she didn't bite me…"

Karen just sorta growled, "Ugh, that Lora always makes me so darned mad!"

The two then looked at each other with a worried expression. "It looks like we'll be seeing more of them around here…", Colin said. Karen let out a sigh and replied with a "Looks like it…"

"It appears you have yourselves a rivalry going!", Chatot kinda laughed, "I do hope this doesn't distract you from future guild duties, though. Please wait here while I let the Guildmaster know you're here." With that, Chatot goes into the office.

Colin and Karen were eager to see the Guildmaster, though Karen was starting to worry. She looked to Crawdaunt who was nearby, "Hey Crawly, what kind of Pokemon is the Guildmaster?"

Crawdaunt sort of sweatdropped at the name she gave him, but went with it. "Hey hey, the Guildmaster is a very nice Pokemon! He might seem strange at first, hey, but he's a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky Pokemon!"

Karen was feeling better after hearing that. With a smile, she responded, "That's good to hear! After all the stuff we just had to deal with, I was worried the bad stuff wasn't over..."

Chatot then opened the door, "The Guildmaster will see you two, now." He turned and looked at Crawdaunt, "Ah yes, Crawdaunt. You will be joining us, yes? It was you that brought them here, after all!"

"Hey hey, of course! They helped me out, I'll gladly vouch for them!", the red Pokemon was delighted to accompany them.

"Oh, and one more thing. One very, very important thing.", Chatot sternly warned, "On no account, I repeat, on no account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster."

"Y-yes sir!", Colin affirmed before the party when into the Guildmaster's Office.

Our future explorers are on their way to see the Guildmaster and quite possibly finally get registered! Seeing as their old childhood bullies just registered before them, they seem to have a rival team right off the bat! It would seem this lively guild is about to get more lively as our journey continues!


End file.
